Forget trying to bag an upgrade by using the tried and tested tricks of honeymoons, birthdays and huge social media followings, Monarch is offering customers free upgrades simply for being nice.

As part of Monarch’s year long campaign to promote traditional values of chivalry, courtesy and respect, selected customers will be rewarded for polite behaviour with the holy grail of free perks – a seat upgrade.

The discretionary free upgrades include extra leg room seats - offering up to 15% more space and with a value of over £100 (for two people) – as well as priority check in.

The low cost airline and holiday company is following in the footsteps of Pret a Manger to make the incentive part of booking policy.

It comes after a Monarch study conducted by Professor Jonathan Freeman at i2 Media Research at Goldsmiths University linked being nice to an increase in happiness, perceived health and success (SEE VIDEO LINKS ABOVE)

The study was led by Jonathan Freeman, Professor of Psychology at Goldsmith’s University’s i2 Media Research Lab. 100 participants completed a series of psychological research measures before taking part in two lab-based behavioural demonstrations (one being 'FaceReader' technology, below)

Nils Christy, Chief Operating Officer at Monarch, added: “We are often described as the nicer airline and holiday company and we pride ourselves on this. Our customer services staff are already nice – now they can reward those who are positively nice to them too.”

Subject to availability, Monarch customer services staff are allowed to give away a certain amount of the free upgrades to extra leg room seats and priority check in every week.

Nils continued: “Everyone benefits from niceness. Planes depart more punctually, staff and customers are happier and it improves the travelling experience for everyone.”

Full terms and conditions below. For nicer flights and holidays visit www.monarch.co.uk

About Monarch:Monarch is a leading UK independent airline group. The company includes a scheduled airline, in-house tour operator and an award-winning engineering division. Flying from 5 UK bases, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds-Bradford and Luton where it is headquartered; the airline offers 6million sector seats to leisure destinations. The tour operating division offers package holidays across the airlines scheduled network focusing on beach, city and ski breaks. Monarch was voted the world’s most punctual low cost carrier in OAG’s Punctuality League 2016.

How the Monarch Nice Initiative works

1. Our customer services staff have up to a total of ten upgrades or priority check ins per week to give to customers who are especially nice over the phone2. The upgrades or check ins refer to a whole booking (eg to two people who are travelling together)3. Seat upgrades are strictly subject to availability and are at the absolute discretion of the customer services team4. The customer must be aged 18 years or over5. The upgrade or priority check in is non-transferrable and is to be used by the chosen customer only6. No cash alternative is available7. The upgrade may not be re-presented as a prize for any other prize draw or similar 8. General flight terms and conditions apply and can be found at http://www.monarch.co.uk/terms/flights.

Cartoon Network teams up with Airbnb to offer families a half-term holiday home with a difference to launch all-new series of Ben 10

Ben Fogle and son Ludo are first guests at the real-life version of the show’s iconic RV, the Rust Bucket

Ben 10 fans who’ve always wanted to hitch a ride in the show’s iconic Rust Bucket are in for a treat!

To launch the brand new series, Cartoon Network has teamed up with TV presenter and adventurer Ben Fogle and his six-year-old son Ludo to offer families the opportunity to stay in an exact replica of the famous motorhome, affectionately called The Rust Bucket, featured in the animated show.Available exclusively on Airbnb during the October half term, the money-can’t-buy experience will see families travel to Rendlesham Forest, the UK’s most prominent UFO hotspot, to spend a night in the RV under the stars – and goodness knows what else!The all-new series of Ben 10 stars a 10 year-old wide-eyed and adventurous Ben Tennyson, who discovers an out-of-this-world alien-morphing watch – the Omnitrix – while on summer holidays with his grandpa Max and cousin Gwen.The holiday home on wheels, which Ben, Gwen and grandpa Max use to travel the length and breadth of the country, while saving the day from would-be villains, has been brought to life by a team of experts featuring its distinctive racing stripes, signature markings, roof rack and headlights.Interior modifications include a Galactic Explor-o-Scope containing galaxy projection technology, a game station and an entertainment hub where families will be able to preview exclusive episodes of the show before anyone else in the UK.Guests will be welcomed with a fully stocked fridge filled with everything they need to make Ben’s favourite meal of Rust Bucket-naise with Piranha Liver, Goat’s Beard, and Squid Surprise for dessert, as well as an itinerary of fun, family-friendly activities.Grandpa Max’s binoculars will be essential for spotting anything other-worldly – after all the Rust Bucket is parked in the heart of what is described as Britain’s answer to Roswell and the scene of the most famous extra-terrestrial sightings in the UK.

Ben Fogle said: “Ludo and I are massive fans of Ben 10 so we are really excited to be involved in this competition. I can’t think of a better way to spend the half term holidays! Funnily enough I have a lot in common with Ben Tennyson – a love of adventure, the same sense of humour and not forgetting the name of course – I just wish I had his extra-terrestrial super powers! We’re looking forward to meeting the all-new aliens, evil villains and seeing what Ben gets up to in the new series.”To enter the competition, visit airbnb.co.uk/night-at/rustbucket before 13th October 2016. Winners must be available on 22nd 24th, 26th and 28th October and be able to travel to Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk for the stay.The all-new series of Ben 10 premieres exclusively on Cartoon Network on Saturday 8th October at 10am, with brand new episodes every weekend. --more--The popularity of the original Ben 10 show launched three additional animated series (Ben 10 Alien Force, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, Ben 10: Omniverse); two animated movies (Ben 10: Secret of the Omnitrix, Ben 10: Destroy All Aliens); and two live-action movies (Ben 10: Race Against Time, Ben 10: Alien Swarm).A proven success for Cartoon Network, Ben 10 is an established sales sensation led by top-selling toys, interactive and home entertainment franchises generating more than $4.5 billion in global retail sales to date. Playmates Toys serves as the worldwide master toy partner for the new Ben 10 with a full line of toys based on the series that will include a range of figures, playsets and role-play items set to launch at retail globally next fall. NOTES TO EDITOR:For further information, images or interview requests please contact:Ben10@tinmancomms.com 0203 206 9977THE ALIENS (in alphabetical order)CANNONBOLT - With DNA originating from the planet Arburia, this alien hero can curl himself up into an unstoppable, nearly invulnerable sphere. Like a life-sized pinball, as Cannonbolt, Ben can ricochet off surfaces for choreographed attacks. He has no trouble getting moving, but sometime has trouble stopping!DIAMONDHEAD - Hailing from the planet Petropia, Diamondhead's alien DNA is silicon-based – hard silicone – diamond hard. With a body composed of organic green crystals, as Diamondhead, Ben can control his molecular structure to reform all or part of it into crystal weaponry, everything from swords to shields. His crystalline structure also makes it easy for him to reflect or refract light and energy beams.FOUR ARMS - With DNA originating from the distant planet Khoros, this alien form is four times as strong as the toughest aliens in the galaxy – and not just because of the extra appendages at his disposal! As Four Arms, Ben can lift the heaviest of objects and pack the most powerful of punches, as well as create a shockwave by slapping his hands together. Not the fastest alien of the ten, but sometimes pure strength is what gets the job done.GREY MATTER - People may mistake him for a grey frog, but this alien type from Galvan Prime is smarter than your average frog – much smarter – incredibly smart. He may be only 5 inches tall, but Grey Matter is a technophile, able to perceive how complex machinery works by literally getting inside of it – a possibility due to his small size. The micro-suction cups on his skin give him good traction, and he's also much stronger than his diminutive size might suggest.HEATBLAST - From the planet Pyros, this alien DNA is comprised of a magma-like substance that is, predictably, incredibly hot. As Heatblast, Ben has control over extreme heat-based blasts and is able to throw fire from his hands. He can also absorb heat and fire into himself to extinguish it elsewhere. And yes, he is a bit of a hothead, but he can be doused by exposure to water – a possible Achilles heel.OVERFLOW - This DNA code originates from the Andromeda Galaxy planet Kiusana, this alien is a mysterious, liquid-based creature. As Overflow, Ben has control over most forms of moisture and can shoot water from his arms (like a water gun) and even create "water whips" as a form of attack. He’s even able to harden water into a protective exoskeleton form. While he may not seem like the most powerful, it has to be noted that when you control water, you control two-thirds of the Earth’s surface and that kind of power is nothing to laugh at!STINKFLY - With DNA from the indigenous lifeforms of the planet Lepidopterra, Stinkfly is more than just a bioluminescent insect buzzing around at high speeds. In this form, Ben’s four-winged acrobatics can be extremely effective. The liquid goo’s and gasses he excretes from his eyes and mouth possess a wide range of uses, including being highly flammable.UPGRADE - Originating from one of the moons of Galvan, the DNA that creates Upgrade makes him a "mechamorph" – a living machine entity with liquid metallic skin. His nanotechnology body can pour itself over any piece of technology, merge with it, and upgrade it to something more powerful and technologically useful. As Upgrade, Ben is in complete control of that upgraded tech.WILDVINE - The planet Flors Verdance is rich in plant-based lifeforms, and utilising that planet's indigenous DNA as Wildvine, Ben can merge with any plant on the planet. Wildvine also has complete control over his plant body, growing and retracting appendages at will. He has natural camouflage abilities, can cover himself with thorns, can quickly dig through the Earth, and he can even regenerate himself or any body parts that happen to get severed. He does have to be careful not to get his vines tangled, though.XLR8 - With DNA that hails from the planet Kinet -- home to a race of super-fast sentient life -- as XLR8, Ben is a super-speedster of the highest order due to his ability to manipulate friction. At crazy-high speeds (+500mph), his attacks are extremely effective and for XLR8, high-speed travel is almost as fast as thought. He better be fast, as strength is not a strong suit for this alien form.About Cartoon Network EMEA: Turner’s Cartoon Network is a universally appealing boy focused, girl inclusive channel driven by its exciting slate of surprising comedy and adventure. The programming line-up explores the relatable themes of humour, friendship, imagination, action and adventure. Cartoon Network targets boys and girls aged 6-12 and aims to champion kids being themselves through its rich mix of entertaining and globally successful content. The programming slate includes leading comedy animations The Amazing World of Gumball, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Clarence, Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa and action-adventure shows, Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls and Teen Titans Go!

Since launching as a pan-European channel in 1993, Cartoon Network now has localised services throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa where it is available in 18 languages in more than 131 million homes across over 70 countries. Cartoon Network can also be experienced through its award-winning website, as well as via games, video on demand, mobile and an array of licensing and merchandising. Cartoon Network is a brand owned by Turner, a Time Warner company.

About Man of Action EntertainmentMan of Action Entertainment are Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle, the writers' collective behind comic's largest franchise characters as well as original characters published by their imprint at Image Comics. Their creations include Ben 10, the $4.5 billion boys' action franchise for which they're executive producing a new iteration, and Generator Rex, both for Cartoon Network. Dentsu handpicked them to create, write and executive produce the all-new MegaMan series. They also launched Disney XD's Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man and Marvel's Avengers Assemble as EXP/writers. Man of Action created the characters and team that were featured in Big Hero 6, Disney/Marvel's Academy Award®-winning feature. In addition to creating successful video games, toy lines and comic books, Man of Action are the creator/producer/writers of upcoming feature films and live-action TV series based on their original comic books and graphic novels including I Kill Giants,Officer Downe, Kafka,The Crusades and The Great Unknown. http://manofaction.tv;http://www.Facebook.com/ManOfActionEnt;http://www.Twitter.com/ManOfActionEnt;http://instagram.com/ManOfActionENT

About Airbnb Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world – online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and more than 190 countries. And with world ­class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

This video tells the story of royalty, true love, gardening(!) and has a real resonances in the week Prince William and Princess Kate are visiting British Columbia Canada.

It is about another Prince & Princess who made the same journey to BC – but under vastly different circumstances.

Prince Abkhazi of Georgia (his family suffered badly in the Russian Revolution) met Peggy Pemberton Carter in Paris between the wars. The Second World War forced them apart, but they never forgot each other....the garden they made is a testament to their love.

Paperboyo recreates Dubai’s most famous sights on iconic London landmarks using his trademark cardboard cut-outs and stunning photography

31st August [LONDON] – A slice of Dubai comes to central London this week courtesy of Dubai Tourism and rising photography star Rich McCor, better known as Instagram genius Paperboyo. The two have collaborated - as part of a mega experiential tourism campaign centred at Waterloo Station - to create eight brand new images giving iconic London landmarks a distinctly Dubai twist using Paperboyo’s unique cardboard cut-out creations.

From a pair of camels passing a palm-topped Shard to a twilight Dubai skyline spread across a London Underground sign, the images bring a selection of the two cities’ most famous sights and attractions together in eye-popping style. Other highlights include the historic Nelson Column turned into iconic Burj Al Arab and Tower Bridge converted into a rollercoaster – a nod to Dubai’s much-anticipated array of new theme parks which open in the coming months.

If you're considering planning a vacation to Australia then proceed!!! It's probably the most visited and romantic places that's known all across the globe. People throughout come and visit this area each year. The United States is broadly known of all because of its varied sightseeing options and lots of other romantic spots.

Lots of people, especially enthusiasts enjoy different activities here. Furthermore, this area is principally visited by them who intend to celebrate their engagement, wedding, anniversaries and Valentine's in a special way. You will find many vacationers who come here to invest some quality hrs using their family, buddies, kids and partners.

#1. Enjoy the holiday’s maximum

​To be able to help make your vacation the wedding one, you need to invest times of visits to a leased room that's obtainable in Australia. Thus, you will find a number of other choices to rent an area around Australia. Many rooms are for sale to vacationers to ensure that they are able to enjoy the holiday towards the maximum. Rooms for rental around Australia can be found in different packages.

One can savor the services that exist through the hotel for their clients. The A1 services, attractive and peaceful great thing about the nearby, comfort ability, reasonable price, etc. are the countless features that certain can choose to rent

#2. Exploring the encompassing places

Even when one will get bored then also he is able to go out and explore the encompassing places by hiring a campervan rental in Australia. Furthermore, you will find many leased rooms which are built near to some famous restaurants as well as close to the locations that aim at the entertainment purpose. These rooms will invariably supply you with the feeling of your Home Sweet Home.

Here, you may also prepare anything of your liking because the leased rooms here possess a well-outfitted kitchen that's saved with varied snacks along with other mouth-watering eatable products. When you are getting your personal leased room ready, you may enjoy the right climate and also the timeless great thing about Australia.

#3. Relish lovely moments

Just sit while watching the bonfire using the branded Lager Beer inside your hands and relish the lovely and memorable moments together with your partner. Thus, higher level of security is maintained to be able to provide clients 100% client contentment. You may also ready your favorite food in the kitchen area that arrives using these leased rooms. Such homely features can't be supplied by the individual’s exclusive hotels that are offered at high rate.

Travelling around Australia isn't an issue as you will find a varied mode of transport that apply for like trains, ferries, buses, monorail, trams and lightweight rails. You are able to take ferries to visit between Melbourne and Tasmania. If this involves going to the key places of the nation you can go to the opera house.

#4. Many things for women

The wonderful architecture of the buildings is simply wonderful to look at. The specialty of the place is it is among the most popular world where every single day or other concerts, dramas are held. At night the attention gleaming lighting is just wonderful to look at as 1000's of vacationers flock for this huge architecture to consider pictures.

There is also a quantity of causes of shopping around Australia. Women can look for Opals, the nation's gem of the nation. To consider an indication of Australia together with you, you can buy a crocodile skin hat or perhaps a driza bone hat.

Traveling and camping the diverse lands of Australia can prove to be a lifetime experience, provided the fact that you undertake a motorhome journey with a deep quest to explore the country’s natural beauty. Travelers across the globe believe that Australia is one of the most beautiful and adventurous places to spend your holidays or quality time with your family. In other words, either you are a solo traveler or you travel in groups, Australia remains a remarkable traveling destination for you.

Australia’s distinguished islands, unique and deadly wildlife, stunning beaches, amazing cuisines, marvelous architecture and memorable hospitality are some of the crucial factors which attract a large number of travelers from across the globe every year. But in order to explore these places thoroughly and effectively you must travel on a Motorhome. Hire a suitable self-driven motorhome from Aussie Campervans and hit the roads as per your convenience, go to the places you really feel like going and avoid those which you don’t want to see. If you wish you can drive throughout the day (that’s totally up to you) and if you want to take a break for few hours that’s also possible. This clearly indicates that you enjoy maximum freedom while camping and traveling a country on a self-driven Motorhome.

Find Right Tourist Destinations In Advance

Never plan your trips blindly without having much knowledge about the places to visit. Without knowing where to go first and what to do next, your holidays can end up in an unsatisfactory as well as the costly trip. So list down all the important beaches, islands, national parks and outback regions that you would like to explore during your trip.

Important beaches in Australia include

Byron Bay Beach (Northern New South Wales)

Bondi Beach (Sydney)

Mandalay Beach (Western Australia)

75 Mile Beach (Fraser Island)

Noosa Main Beach (Sunshine Coast)

Miami Beach (Gold Coast)

Wineglass Bay (Tasmania)

Important National Parks In Australia Include

Wilsons Promontory National Park (Victoria)

Grampians National Park (Victoria)

Great Otway National Park (Victoria)

Kosciuszko National Park (NSW)

Murramarang National Park (NSW)

Wild Rivers National Park (Tasmania)

Cradle Mountain National Park (Tasmania)

In this way, you can create a list of all the important things, which you may feel like exploring once you are finally in Australia.

Have Some Knowledge About Free Camping Sites

If in case you are running under a tight budget, you must find out the free camping sites in the Country. Free camping is allowed mainly for self-contained vehicles and the main reason for that is you should not pollute the places. There are some public places where you can park your vehicle for free.

If You Have Sufficient Budget, Find Out Privately Owned Holiday Parks

If budget is not a constraint for you then there are lots of holiday parks which provide amazing facilities such as kitchen, swimming pools, playing zone, and laundry etc., and you can easily take full advantage of them.

Take Care Of Your Safety

If you are visiting remote areas or national parks, you really need to take care of your safety considering the fact that Australia has some deadly snakes.

UK travel site Momondo, conducted an analysis of 12.6 billion airfares worldwide and found that travellers could save an average of 26 per cent by booking just under two months in advance.The study also found that flight price varied widely depending on the day of the week. The most expensive day of to fly is Saturday costing up to 11.5 per cent more than flying on Tuesday, the cheapest day to fly.Another factor was the time of day. The cheapest fares were found to be between 6pm and 12am whereas daytime flights between 10am and 3pm were six per cent more expensive.Lasse Skole Hansen from Momondo says these findings were good guidelines for making future bookings.We would always advise travellers to stick to these golden travel rules, to secure the cheapest fares. And in general, it pays to book flights two months in advance.“We found these trends consistent across the board, so bargain hunters should consider flying in the evening and on Tuesdays if possible, to save the most money on their trip.”Originally published as The magic rule of flying unveiled

The inland surf facility uses revolutionary technology to deliver the longest man-made surfable waves on the planet. The consistent and perfectly formed barrelling waves go up to variously 2m high, and will peel for up to 150 metres.

Surf Snowdonia is the latest in a long and impressive line of recent adventure attraction launches in North Wales. It comes hot on the tail of the largest zip zone in Europe, Zipworld Titan, adrenalin fuelled underground assault course, Zip Below Extreme, and underground giant trampoline playground Bounce Below, all of which have opened in the past year. This series of world-beating new attractions, coupled with internationally renowned mountain biking, sailing, kayaking, abseiling, and rafting to mention but a few, is putting North Wales on the map as the UK’s adventure capital.

Surf Snowdonia has been built on the site of a former aluminium factory. Over 100 years’ of heavy industrial waste has been removed, and 400 tonnes of steel, cast iron and copper have been recycled. Around 25,000 cubic metres of hardcore has also been recycled, with 85% of the stone used in the new construction sourced from the original site. The surf facility will be filled with rainwater taken from neighbouring mountain reservoirs.

The £12 million facility will create over 60 direct jobs, additionally sustaining around 100 jobs in the supply chain. It is conservatively expecting in excess of 75,000 visitors per year.